Bruce Bedevils Charts

Bruce Springsteen might be unplugged, but he's still the Boss.

Devils & Dust, the new solo acoustic release from New Jersey's favorite son, dusted the competition and was the first of four Top 10 bows on this week's Billboard 200 chart. The album--released exclusively on Sony's new DualDisc format, combining the CD of songs on one side and a DVD of music and video on the other--nabbed number one with 222,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan numbers released Wednesday.

The album also topped the charts in Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Though a new release, many of the songs were written eight years ago when Springsteen toured for his last solo release, The Ghost of Tom Joad. The tracks were put on the back burner, though, when Springsteen reunited with the E Street Band for The Rising, which sold a career-best 526,000 first-week copies in the summer of 2002.

With Springsteen debuting on top, Rob Thomas' solo effort, Something To Be fell from number one to number four selling another 145,000 discs for the week ended Sunday, while Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi held at two with 197,000.

Sandwiched between was Bobby Valentino. The latest member of Ludacris' musical family, the R&B crooner scored a surprising number three bow, moving 180,000 copies of Disturbing tha Peace Presents Bobby Valentino. Valentino, who's currently lighting up radio with "Slow Down," previously made the FM dial with "Blackberry Molasses" as part of the '90s group Mista.

Another R&B type, Amerie, landed her latest, Touch, at number five with 123,000 copies. The D.C. native, known for the hit "Why Don't We Fall in Love," is currently making waves with "1 Thing." Between albums, she starred in First Daughter, opposite Katie Holmes and Michael Keaton.

Country singer Jo Dee Messina wrapped the Top 10 entires with Delicious Surprise, which sold 99,000 copies. Her new hit track, "My Give a Damn's Busted," gives Messina nine chart-topping country singles in four albums.

The rest of the Top 10 were familiar faces: 50 Cent's The Massacre at six, Mike Jones' Who Is Mike Jones? at eight, Il Divo's self-titled at nine and Gwen Stefani's Love, Angel, Music, Baby in the 10 spot.

Among the other chart entrants last week, Buddy Jewell's Times Like These opened strong at 31 with 25,000 copies, while Mint Condition's Livin' the Luxury Brown and New Order's Waiting for the Sirens' Call opened at 45 and 46, respectively, each selling just under 20,000 discs.

John Prine's Fair & Square debuted at 55, Z-Ro's Let The Truth Be Told came in at 69, the Eels' Blinking Lights & Other Revelations opened at 93, The Very Best of Death Row entered at 94, Acceptance's Phantoms checked in at 122, and Latin pop artists Aventura--whose international hit "Obsession (No Es Amor)" recently became a U.S. hit thanks to Frankie J--landed at 133 with God's Project.

Two new soundtracks also made the pop chart, Family Guy Live in Las Vegas at 105 and the Ice Cube-led XXX: State of the Union at 117. After four years off the air, Family Guy returned to television last Sunday, while the new XXX film opened last Friday.

Next week look for big bows by Nine Inch Nails, Fall Out Boy and the Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith soundtrack.

Here's a recap of the Top 10 albums of last week:

1. Devils & Dust, Bruce Springsteen
2. The Emancipation of Mimi, Mariah Carey
3. Disturbing tha Peace..., Bobby Valentino
4. Something To Be, Rob Thomas
5. Touch, Amerie
6. The Massacre, 50 Cent
7. Delicious Surprise, Jo Dee Messina
8. Who Is Mike Jones?, Mike Jones
9. Il Divo, Il Divo
10. Love, Angel, Music, Baby, Gwen Stefani